Apparatus for positioning printing plates on rotary printing cylinders



June 28, 1955, W B LEAVENS;y JR K 2,711,691

APPARATUS FOR POSITIONING PRINTING PLATES 0N ROTARY PRINTING CYLINDERS Filed Jan. 29, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 V INVENTOR. A gid??? L eavzfyf 1'.,

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Jane 2s, 1955 W. B. LEAVENS, JR 1 APPARATUS FOR POSITIONING PRINTING PLATES ON ROTARY PRINTING CYLINDERS Filed Jan. 29. 1953 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 June 28, 1955 Y W B LEAVENS, JR 2,711,691

l APPARATUS FOR POSITIONING QRINTING PLATES ON ROTARY PRINTING C LINDERS F 1 d Jan 29 95 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. wie, ,5..55n1176j J.)

June 28, 1955 w. B, LEAVENS, JR 2,711,691

APPARATUS FOR POSITIONING PRINTING PLATES ON ROTARY PRINTING CYLINDERS Filed Jan. 29, 1955 4 sheets-sheet 4 l United States Patent O APPARATUS FOR POSITIONING PRINTING PLATES ONRQTARY PRINTING CYLINDERS William B.,I4.eavens Jr., Llewellyn Park, N. J.

Application January 29, 195,3, SerialA No. 334,026 Claims. (Cl. 1111-216) to be printedupon a rotary printing cylinder. The operation, of accurately positioning a printing plate or form upon aprinting cylinder `for attachment thereto has heretofore been a laborious1 and` time consuming task. lt is therefore an `,object of :this invention to provide means and procedure wherebyv the accurate positioning of a printing `plate `or formk upon a printing cylinder for attachment thereto can be readily accomplished with a minimum .expenditure of time andlabor; and to this end the invention provides a simple and easily manipulated apparatusv which includes a movable means for supporting a ilat layout of ,the copy having position registering devices thereon. Saidt'supporting means being adapted to be brought into geared relation to theprinting cylinder, Vand by rotation -of the latter moved in relation thereto, so as to be superposed over the printing areaof said printing cylinder, and then by spotting means, cooperative withsaid registering devices, accurately positioned withinsaid area, whereafter the printing cylinder is held stationary, the` layout supporting means thereuponA withdrawn, and ,then the ,printing plate or form, which bears correspond-ing.registering devices, is applied to the stationary ,printinglcylinder and, by use of the spotting means in cooperation with the latter registering devices, brought into proper positon on the printing cylinder and affixed thereto..

The aboverand other objects of this invention will be understood from a reading of the following detailed description of theY invention in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig, l .is in part a side elevation and in part a longitud inal sectional view of ,an` illustrative embodiment of the positioning apparatus of this invention; Fig. 2 is a plan view, viewed inthe directionv of the arrow 2 in Fig. l; `Eig. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view, taken on line 3--3 in Fig. l; Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view, with the copy layout supporting table operatively related to the printing cylinder; and Fig. 5 is a plan View, similar to that of "Fig, 2, but showing the layout supporting table operatively related to the printing cylinder.

` Fig. 6is a fragmentaryvertical sectional view, showing means for adjusting the printing cylinder relative to Zthe copy layout supporting table and holdingthe same in a stationary position 'to' which it `has Vbeen adjusted.

' Fig. 7 -is a fragmentary plan view showing application of a printing plate to a printing cylinder.; and Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view, Vtaken on line 8-8 :in Fig. 7.

Similar `characters of reference are employed .in `the above idescribed views, 1to indicate corresponding parts.

vReferring to the drawings, the positioning apparatus s'shown as arranged in connection with arotary printing press fr @operation with ,a printing cylinder thereof.

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In said drawings, the reference character 10 indicates a printing cylinder which is journaled in and between frame members 11 of the press. Said printing cylinder 10 is provided, preferably at each end thereof, with actuating gear wheels 12. Intergeared with the printing cylinder 10, in opposition thereto, is an impression cylinder 13. Supported above the printing cylinder 10, for` movement in a plane parallel to a plane tangent to the circumference of said printing cylinder, is a copy layout supporting table 14 which is provided, in aixed relation to its sides, with racks 15, the` teeth of which can be brought into mesh with the gear wheels 12 of the printing cylinder.

The supporting table 14 is mounted subject to movement toward and from the printing cylinder 10, and for this purpose channeled trackway members 16 are respectively suitably atlixed to the respective side frame members 11, to extend along opposite sides of the supporting table. Protecting exteriorly from the sides of said supporting table, adjacent the outer or rearward end thereof, are rollers 17 which engage and ride upon said trackway members 16. Projecting exteriorly from the sides of said supporting table 14, adjacent the inner or forward end thereof, are laterally projecting stop studs 18. At their inner end portions, the top flanges of the channeled trackway members are cut away to provide upwardly open sections 19, and fixed upon the bottom anges of said channeled trackway members, within the open sections of the latter, are opstanding stationary stop mem.- bers 20, which are adapted to be abutted by said stop studs 18 of the supporting table 14, to releasably hold said supporting table in its outwardly withdrawn relation to the printing cylinder 10 (see Figs. l and 2). It will be understood that, by up'swinging the inner or forward end of the supporting table, about the rollers 17 thereof as a pivoting fulcrum, the stop studs 18 may be disengaged from the stationary stop members 2l), thus permitting the supporting table to be moved forwardly relative to the printing cylinder 10.

A pair of spotting devices 21 and 22 are adjustably and movably supported in outwardly `offset relation to the printing cylinder 10. In a preferred form thereof as shown, each spotting device comprises a microscope or similar optical instrument, the lens system of which includes cross-hairs or lines arranged as a reticle in the focus thereof. Said microscopes are respectively supported by carrier brackets 23 which are slidably movable along a transverse supporting bar 24 which extends between the side frames 1g1. Said microscopes are so disposed that their axes are prependicular to the plane o f travel of the copy layout supporting table 14, and radial to `the printing cylinder 10, so that the lines of said axes intersect the axis of the latter. The microscopes are independently movable laterally along the supporting bar 24.

Suitable means is provided for holding the printing cylinder 10, at desired times, against rotative displacement from a position to which it has been adjusted during use of the positioning apparatus. An illustrative form of holding means, as shown, comprises a worm gear 25, which is releasably aiiixed to a shaft or journal 10 Aof the printing cylinder 10, as by a set screw 25', and a worm 26 to engage lsaid worm gear. The worm 26 is mounted on an actuating shaft 27 which is journaled in bearings 28 secured to the external face of a side frame member 11, and is provided with ahand crank 29, whereby said shaft and worm can be rotated to produce rotative movement of the printingcylinder 10. t

Suitably inscribed upon the upwardly presented face of the supporting table 14 is a rectangular outline bounding `an area corresponding in dimensions to the printingv area `of the printing cylinder 10, said outline comprising a forward 4transverse head line 30, side lines 31 and a lrearward transverse back line 32,

Teeth of one or of each gear wheel 12 of the printing cylinder 10, which are in line with the start of the printing area of said printing cylinder, are suitably marked for easy identification and a matching tooth of one or each rack 15 of the supporting table, which is in line with the headline 30 of said supporting table, is similarly marked for easy identification subject to be brought into meshed engagement with said marked teeth of the printing cylinder gear wheels, whereby to engage the supporting table, when it is moved to an initial operating position, in operative relation to the printing cylinder (see Figs. l and 4).

Preparatory to use of the positioning apparatus, a copy layout is prepared for application to the supporting table 14. lf for example, a curved printing plate for letter press printing is to be accurately positioned and then afxed to a printing cylinder, a flat layout of the copy to be printed is made up. The technique of preparing copy of the subject to be printed is well known to the art.

The usual procedure is to make a drawing of the subject,

and from this drawing a printing plate is produced. For the purpose of this invetnion, the drawing includes suitably disposed and spaced positioning marks or devices, which are also reproduced on the printing plate. For use in connection with the positioning apparatus of this invention, when said apparatus is to be used for accurately positioning a curved printing plate for letter press printing on a printing cylinder, a proof 33 of the subject on transparent sheet material is struck off from the printing plate. This proof 33 will include the positioning marks or devices 34 and 35, which are transversely aligned in suitably spaced apart relation. A second transparent sheet 36 is also prepared, the same corresponding in dimensions and size to a stock sheet to be printed. On this sheet 36 is superposed and secured the proof 33 in a posiy:

tion thereon which the subject to be printed is to occupy on a printed stock sheet. The transparent sheet 36 and proof 33 constitutes the copy layout ready for application to the supporting table 14 for use in the positioning apparatus of this invention.

The copy layout having been prepared, the same is laid face down, i. e. with the proof 33 underlying the sheet 36, upon the supporting table 14 of the positioning apparatus, and is then adjusted, both laterally and longitudinally within the boundaries of the area inscribed thereon to correspond to the printing area of the printing cylinder 10, and so that the bottom edge of said copy layout is aligned in register with the head line 30 of said area, which head line corresponds to the starting point of the printing cylinder 10. As thus disposed, the subject of the copy layout will be upwardly visible in reverse, and the positioning marks or devices 34 and 35 will be visible through the transparent sheet material of which the copy layout is composed. Having been thus properly disposed upon the supporting table 14, said copy layout is secured in place by means of pressure sensitive adhesive strips (not shown), or in any other suitable manner.

The copy layout having been applied to the supporting table 14, the positioning apparatus is ready to be operated. In operating said positioning apparatus, the printing cylinder 10 is first turned to a position which opposes the marked teeth of its gear wheel 12 substantially perpendicular to the plane of movement of the supporting table 14. This having been done, said supporting table is upswung to disengage the stop studs 18 from the stop member 20, thus permitting the supporting table to be moved forward toward the printing cylinder 10, and into a position to oppose the marked teeth of its racks 15 to the marked teeth of the gear wheels 12 of the printing cylinder, and then lowered to bring said teeth into mesh. This having been done, the printing cylinder is rotated in counterclockwise direction, thereby producing simultaneous advance of the supporting table 14 so as to dispose the copy layout over the printing area of said printing cylinder. In this operation, the printing cylinder 10 can be rotated by manipulating the hand crank 29'to turn the shaft 27 and worm 26, whereby to transmit rotary motion to said printing cylinder through the worm gear 25. While thus controlling the mutual movements of the printing cylinder 10 and copy layout supporting table 14, the operator views the copy layout through the respective microscope spotting devices 21 and 22, and moves the latter on the supporting bar 24 so that they are spaced apart a distance corresponding to the distance at which the positioning marks or devices 34 and 35' are spaced apart on the proof 33. Thereupon, by adjustably moving the printing cylinder and supporting table forward or back, as may be required, said positioning marks or devices 34 and 35 of the proof 33l are brought into register with the cross-hairs or lines of the microscopes, thus indicating that the printing cylinder 10 thereupon occupies a proper position ready for application thereto of a curved printing plate for printing the subject of the copy layout. The printing cylinder 10, after being thus positioned, is held against rotary displacement from said position to which it has been adjusted. The worm 26 and worm gear 25, when used, will serve to thus lock and hold the positioned printing cylinder immovable. If means other than the worm gear is used to rotate the printing cylinder, then any suitable form of independent locking means can be used to hold said printing cylinder against displacement from the printing plate receiving position to which it has been adjusted.

The printing cylinder having been locked in printing plate receiving position as above described, the copy layout supporting table 14 is upswung therefrom to disengage its rack teeth from the gear wheels 12 of said printing cylinder. Whereupon said supporting table is pushed back to its normal initial stopped disposition as withdrawn from said printing cylinder, thus accessibly exposing the latter for application thereto of the curved printing plate to be mounted thereon. ln the drawings, said printing plate is indicated by the reference character 37, and the same includes the positioning marks or devices 34 and 35' whichcorrespond to the marks 34 and 35 reproduced therefrom upon the proof 33 of the copy layout. Said printing plate 37 is superposed upon the locked printing cylinder 10, and then, while inspecting the same through the microscope spotting devices 21 and 22, is adjustably shifted upon said printing cylinder until said positioning marks or devices 34' and 35 thereof are brought into register with the cross-hairs or lines of said microscopes, whereby to determine the proper position of said printing plate upon the printing cylinder. The proper position of the printing plate having been thus determined, said printing plate is thereupon secured to the printing cylinder 10 in any conventional manner and by any conventional means, whereupon the printing cylinder can be operated to successively print the subject thereof by usual rotary press operation. Before thus printing with the printing plate 37, the position determining marks or devices 34 and 35' are removed or eifaced therefrom.

The positioning apparatus ofthis invention may be provided in a form independent of a rotary production press, in which case the printing cylinder, after the printing plate is mounted thereon in proper position, can be removed and transferred to and for use in a production press. On the other hand, said positioning apparatus may be incorporated in a production press, either as a removable part thereof or as a permanently attached part of the same.

It will be understood that, instead of an integral curved printing plate, a plate or plates may be mounted on an overwrap, comprising a suitable fabric, paper or thin metal, applied around the printing cylinder of a production press, or the plate or plates so mounted can be removed from a positioning printing cylinder and placed upon a matching production press printing cylinder. It will also be understood that proofs for copy layouts can be mad@ ,and used for positioning printing plates on printing cylinders` in'connectony withlmulticolor printing. In the latter case, subsequent color forms can be mounted on overwraps appliedV to the printing cylinders, so that oit press makeready can be practiced.`

If oiset printing plates are to be mounted on printing cylinder, transparent copy layouts would not be needed as prepared copy of any kind can be placed face up upon the supporting table 14', and .aligned in4 register with the back line 32 of the latter, assuming the same direction of travel of imprint on the printed sheet.

Within the broader aspects of this invention, forms of spotting devices other than the microscopes could be used, although the latter are deemed preferable. For example, plungers terminating in feeler points adapted to engage perforations or indentations in the copy layout and in the printing plate could be used.

From the above it should now be evident that the instant invention provides a quick and easy means for accurately mounting printing plates upon printing cylinders, and avoids necessity for subsequent plate adjustment after initial positioning, and also avoids necessity for provision of guide lines on printing cylinders, or use of overlay sheets which seldom return to the same position, or use of optical transfer systems which often distort, or necessity for making time consuming rule measurements.

Having now described my invention, I claim:

1. In apparatus of the character described, a rotary printing cylinder, a flat copy layout supporting table movable toward and from said printing cylinder in a plane parallel to a plane tangent to the circumference of the latter, said table having reference means to predetermine the copy layout position thereon, means to releasably interengage the printing cylinder and supporting table for coordinated simultaneous movements, whereby to dispose the copy layout supportedby the latter in opposition to the printing area of the former, adjustable spotting means outwardly offset from and perpendicular to the plane of movement of the supporting table and radial to the axis of the printing cylinder, said spotting means being cooperative with position indicating devices with which the copy layout on the supporting table is provided, whereby to indicate properly adjusted relative positioning of the copy layout to the printing area of the printing cylinder when the latter is coordinately moved with the copy layout supporting table, and means to hold the printing cylinder stationary against displacement from the position to which it has been thus adjusted while a printing plate of the subject of the copy layout is applied thereto and adjusted thereon by aid of said spotting means after the copy layout supporting table is released and withdrawn from the stationary printing cylinder.

2. In apparatus of the character described, a rotary printing cylinder, a flat copy layout supporting table movable toward and from said printing cylinder in a plane parallel to a plane tangent to the circumference of the latter, said table having reference means to predetermine the copy layout position thereon, trackway means to support and guide the supporting table, means to both pivotally and slidably engage said supporting table with the trackway means, said supporting table and printing cylinder having releasably interengageable rack and gear means for simultaneously moving the same, whereby to dispose the copy layout carried by the supporting table in opposition to the printing area of the printing cylinder, a pair of transversely spaced spotting devices outwardly offset from and perpendicular to the plane of movement of the supporting table and radial to the axis of the printing cylinder, means by which said spotting devices are supported subject to relative adjustment thereon, said spotting devices being cooperative with position indicating devices with which the copy layout on the supporting table is provided, whereby to indicate properly adjusted relative positioning of the copy layout and printing area of the` printing cylinder, and means to hold the printing cylinder stationary against displacement from the position to which it has been adjusted while a printing plate of the subject of the copy layout is applied thereto and adjusted thereon` by aid of said spotting devices after the copy layout supporting tablev is released and withdrawn from the stationary printing cylinder.

3. In apparatus of the kind described according to claim 2, wherein the spotting devices each comprise a reticle equipped microscope.

4. In apparatus of the kind described according to claim 2, wherein the trackway means and supporting table are provided with cooperative means to releasably retain the latter in withdrawn relation to the printing cylinder.

5. In apparatus of the kind described according to claim 2, wherein the spotting devices each comprise a rectile equipped microscope, and wherein the trackway means and supporting table are provided with cooperative means to releasably retain the latter in withdrawn relation to the printing cylinder.

6. In apparatus of the kind described according to claim 2, wherein selected matching teeth of the rack and gear means are marked to indicate the desired point at which meshed engagement of said rack and gear means is to be made for initiating simultaneous operative movements of the printing cylinder and supporting table.

7. In apparatus of the character described, a rotary printing cylinder provided at its ends with gear wheels, a at copy layout supporting table movable toward and from the printing cylinder in a plane parallel to a plane tangent to the circumference of said printing cylinder, said supporting table having racks aixed to its sides adapted to be brought into releasable engagement with the gear wheels of the printing cylinder to eect coordinated relative movements of said supporting table and printing cylinder, whereby to dispose the copy layout carried by the supporting table in opposition to the printing area of the printing cylinder, trackway means to support and guide the supporting table, means to both slidably and pivotally engage said supporting table with said trackway means, said supporting table having boundary lines inscribed on its top face to define an area equivalent to the printing area of the printing cylinder, with reference to which boundary lines the copy layout can be secured upon the supporting table in a relation thereto corresponding to a desired positioned relation of a printing plate to the printing area of the printing cylinder upon which said printing plate is to be mounted, selected teeth of the racks and selected teeth of the printing cylinder gear wheels being marked to indicate the point at which meshed engagement of said racks and gear wheels is to be made, whereby to initiate coordinated relative movements of the printing cylinder and supporting plate at a starting point of the printing area of said printing cylinder, a pair of transversely spaced spotting devices outwardly offset from and perpendicular to the plane of movement of the supporting table and radial to the axis of the printing cylinder, means by which said spotting devices are supported subject to relative adjustment thereon, said spotting devices being cooperative with position indicating devices with which the copy layout on the supporting table is provided, whereby to indicate properly adjusted relative positioning of the copy layout and printing area of the printing cylinder stationary, and means to hold the printing cylinder against displacement from the position to which it has been adjusted while a printing plate of the subject of the copy layout is applied thereto and adjusted thereon by aid of said spotting devices after the copy layout supporting table is released and withdrawn from the stationary printing cylinder.

8. In apparatus of the kind described according to claim 7, wherein the spotting devices each comprise a reticle equipped microscope.

9. In apparatus of the kind described according to claim 7, wherein the trackway means and supporting table are provided with cooperative means to releasably retain the latter in withdrawn relation to the printing cylinder. 5

10. In apparatus of the kind described according to claim 7, wherein the spotting devices each comprise a reticle equipped microscope, and wherein the trackway means and supporting table are provided with cooperative means to releasably hold the latter in withdrawn 10 relation to the printing cylinder.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Leethem May 18, 1915 Huebner Nov. 4, 1930 West et al Nov. 5, 1946 Moss et al Jan. 30, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS Switzerland Apr. 16, 1946 

